laplacian on 7/5/2002 at 00:33
Just wondering...
I'm a huge fan of the (former) USA network show "La Femme Nikita" and also the current ABC show "Alias". Although there is no real science fiction (augmented humans, takes place in the future, etc.) in these shows, they both deal/dealt with major conspiracies and cover-ups. This was certainly true for Nikita, especially toward the end--the conspiracies were so deep and the characters so complex that you never knew who to trust. And it seems like Alias is headed in that same general direction, although the show seems to focus slightly more on the actual characters.
I would think that anyone who is a fan of DX must also be a fan of these shows. Am I right? What shows do DX fans like? Just thought it would be interesting to share...
ICEBreaker on 7/5/2002 at 05:58
I do like La Femme Nikita, however it was never popular enough for it to be shown on prime time, and so I doubt I have seen more than 10 episodes, which was a shame. I don't think I got to see the end and so never got to see the conspiracy bits which you talked about. However even early on, you got to notice that there are a lot of bad guys in the organisation. I remember really hating the old guy and the middle aged woman. I also remember another episode where Nikita's section assaulted another section in order to gain control, so I recall some really complex story line. What I didn't see were conspiracies on the scale of DX. I know nothing about Alias since it is not shown in Australia, or at least I have not noticed it here.
As for myself, I really enjoy shows to do with secret government organisations, but the ones I seem to end up loving (maybe due to the availability) are often light hearted comical ones. There aren't many of these types of shows anyway, and the fact that only the good ones make it to Australia means I have little choice. My favourite ones are "Now and Again" which was sadly axed despite the fact it is far better than some other sci-fi series, and "The Invisible Man". Both of these are to do with augmented secret agents so it is similar to DX in that sense, and I really love these two shows. I can't think of any other secret agent shows anyway. It is a shame that the general audience don't enjoy these type of shows, so it is still a niche at the moment.
I mainly watch comedies, cartoons and sci-fi.
Livo on 7/5/2002 at 10:03
Alias is indeed showing here in Australia, however the realism of the intelligence officers portrayed (the shows prefer the term spies) in those kinds of shows puts me off them ;)
ICEBreaker on 7/5/2002 at 11:22
Monday, 8:30pm, Channel Seven
You are right! I just checked on the TV guide. I will check it out. Thanks.
laplacian on 8/5/2002 at 22:53
Too bad you haven't seen some of the later episodes of Nikita, Icebreaker. The conspiracies really got to be quite complex, and Peta Wilson is one hot Aussie actress.
But you're right, the conspiracies were not on the same scale as DX. The conspiracies in the game are very far reaching--and the only reason it makes sense is because DX is set so far in the future, and we know there have been some/many global wars that have reslted in a world where a few struggle for complete domination, and the rest of society is on the verge of chaos. It would have been ridiculous for Nikita to have the same level of conspiracies because it was supposed to be set in the present. They are still showing the old episodes in the US, so maybe you have them in Australia also--they're worth checking out.
What do mean by "realism of intelligence officers" Livo? I don't know any spies, but I would think that real spies might engage in missions similar to the ones on TV. Of course, many things are obviously embellished to make things dramatic (you know Hollywood). Also, in "Alias", they often make reference to a large global organization called the Alliance of Twelve. Their goals sound very similar to those of MJ12, except without the science fiction (abrosia, nano-augmentations, etc.). I wonder if it is a coincidence that the two organizations sound so similar--probably not.
BryanN on 16/5/2002 at 02:23
Nikita's earlier episodes were some of the best I have seen on television. Another awesome show was Level9 (aired on UPN in the states early 2001 and just screened on Ch 9 in Australia Thursdays 1am) - it didn't feature augs or AI but did focus on overreliance on technology and what a few talented people would do if they had such technical power... pity they only made 13 eps....
For a movie about why you should never rely solely on AI: see Resident Evil, Virus, Terminator, Alien etc...
:)
ICEBreaker on 16/5/2002 at 07:53
Virus - it was an alien life form
Terminator - only in retaliation when people tried to pull its plug (ie murder a sentient lifeform)
I am surprised you have not mentioned the best example of all...
A Space Odessy: 2001
rachel on 16/5/2002 at 08:55
Have you seen the "real" Nikita, by Luc Besson? This movie's great, although very different from the show they made from it...
ICEBreaker on 16/5/2002 at 14:53
Yes it was an excellent action film and was later remade into a Hollywood blockbuster called The Assassin (aka Point of No Return) starring Bridget Fonda, which while still an entertaining film in its own right, was not as good as the original La Femme Nikita.
